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This dreamcatcher uses pearls, silver and blue jewelry wire. Together they promote healing, calm and harmony. Pearls give purity and promote faith, charity, and integrity, truth and loyalty. Silver is mystically considered to improve speech, bring eloquence. A balance of the color blue brings intuition, inspiration, sincerity, peace, joy, tranquility, faith in oneself and trust in others.
Stephen King has been playing a major role in my mind nowadays. I've been reading his books and watching a few of his movies. I must say his newest one, Duma Key, is quite impressive. The book swallowed me whole and ate up one whole day this past week. My infatuation for his work re-kindled (I've been into him since I watched and read Firestarter when I was 6.) and had to watch Dreamcatcher.
And when I wasn't going through my King files and books and movies, I was wondering what to do with the glass beads I bought. Came up with nil on the beads but Dreamcatcher stirred my imagination and got my fingers itching. I was looking forlornly at my newest purchases and wondering if the glass beads needed elastic thread instead of the wires I'm so used to working with when my eyes were caught by the colorful jewelry wires I bought with the glass. Hmmm.
Dreamcatcher for Spirituality
I researched on how to make Dreamcatchers and then started making some of my own. Who wouldn't want extra protection against nightmares of the daily variety? I ended making these yesterday afternoon.
This dreamcatcher uses peridot, jade, aventurine, silver and green jewelry wire. Together they promote wellness in affairs of the heart. Peridot enhances the healing and harmony of relationships of all kinds, but particularly marriage. Jade is a stone of fidelity and generosity, it can also attract all kinds of love. Aventurine helps one to see alternatives and potentials in all situations, giving a positive outlook, courage and inner strength. Silver is mystically considered to improve speech, bring eloquence. Green stimulates healing resulting in greater self-love, and thus, love for others.
Dreamcatchers are very interesting things, I think. The legend states that the web catches the good and the bad goes through the hole. I think that's a good thing to have around one's person. We all need something extra to protect us from our daily nightmares.
Went to a bead shop yesterday. A glass bead shop. I rarely work with glass so to go and purchase glass beads was quite a step for me. NOT a big step, but a step nonetheless.So off I went and had a look around and ended up buying some beads. They were just too colorful to ignore. And The Big Ben Shop has quite a selection to choose from.And since I was going off my usual track (semi-precious beads), I was going to go ahead and play with other materials. Went to another store and got me some colorful jewelry wires to use with my beads.I still don't know what I'm going to end up with BUT I have started playing. I'll post projects as I make them, ofcourse. Hopefully, I do these beads some justice.
ps
I have one other kind of bead I bought which I didn't feature here. I bought them especially for someone. Or, rather, to make something for someone special.
This is a book I've had on my shelf for at least two years now. It was quite difficult to find it in Bali as we don't have too many bookstores for English books but I spent a lot of time scanning the titles on each bookshelf in each bookshop over and over again until I found it. (My mom who knew of my search decided to look for it, too. She found a copy and sent it to me but I already found my own. I told her she could keep the copy she has and read it. It's a beautiful read.)What I like most about the book is that it provides hobbyists information on the histories of the different gemstones we use in our art. It broadens the mind to beyond the little beads and pieces we use and extends the appreciation of each piece backward in time and broadens its geographical feel. All that in an entertaining read, too!As much as Finlay will give you tours through gemstones using the Moh classification in cutting her chapters, through different localities and countries where stories of the gemstones originated from, through gemstone folklore and recent developments: it never becomes an encyclopedic-too-detached-too-objective read. She keeps you interested in her choice of anecdotes and the clear and precise way in which she writes.I've read the book at least five times. Each time I get to remember more and more of the information she compiled in the book. I think it was on helluva research she made. She has loads of interesting information in those pages. It's definitely a must-read for handcrafters of jewelry. It makes one appreciate each stone, each bead... we are made more aware of the history that comes with them.*Veronica Howell has another review of this book which I think will give more information to those who are interested. I suggest you read her review, too.
I made a few gifts this morning. I was invited out for lunch by a mother of two of my students. (I teach when I'm not twisting and bending and wrapping wires.) Her two beautiful girls were coming along, too.
I thought I'd make them pendants.
I made the same piece for the two little girls. You know how sisters are sometimes. I made "Eggs in a Nest" pendants on pink leather necklaces for them. I used silver as my main wire for the nest and embelished it with a bit of copper; for eggs, I used pearls.
For their Mom, I made a Tree of Life with Eggs in a Nest. I used silver (20-gauge for the frame and 26-gauge for the tree and branches), rutilated quartz for the leaves, copper and silver wire (28-gauge) for the nest, and pearls for the eggs.
You will notice that the pendants for the children have three eggs. It's not merely for design. They come from a brood of 4. I thought it would be nice to make the three eggs signify their sibling. They're the fourth egg all hatched and in the world. The mother has four eggs in the nest on her pendant. She is the mother tree making sure that all the four eggs in her shelter are safe and protected.
I carefully chose the stones for the energies they exuded:
Pearls are calming and centering. They give purity and promote faith, charity, and integrity, truth and loyalty.
Rutilated quartz is reputed to diminish fears, depression and issues with decision-making.
Silver is mystically considered to improve speech, bring eloquence.
Copper is said to facilitate mental agility, and quick wit.
Apparently, the Tree of Life has more impact than I thought it did. I was just asked by a school to make a few pendants as award gifts for their English competitions. The school wants to encourage their students to be more pro-active in caring for the environment and wants this message sent in most of their activities - whether or not it is directly connected to environmental awareness. Ofcourse, I gladly agreed to work with them and gave them discounted prices for the pendants.I used stones and minerals which encourage mental health:Aventurine is said to benefit one in all areas of creativity, and imagination, as well as intellect and mental clarity.Fluorite promotes spiritual and psychic wholeness and development, truth, protection, and brings peace.Copper is said to be the metal of the God Hermes, who facilitates that mental agility, and quick wit.Silver is mystically considered to improve speech, bring eloquence.I think of it as giving a percent away to my favorite charities (education and the environment).
Bought a book last weekend which is truly inspirational for jewelry handcrafters. It's the 1,000 Jewelry Inspirations (Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains) by Sandra Salamony. Quite a good book to browse through when looking for motivation to make a new piece or re-work old ideas. I really like the way it showcased simple pieces and elaborate ones, too. Lovely to read on a breezy balcony or when facing your worktable and wondering what to make of the beads and wires at hand.One thing I do not like about it, however, is that it's a bit misleading. The book might have 1,000 entries but there are multiple entries for some pieces - some of which are not even crop highlighted but simply resized to fit in a page. To illustrate my point, the following item number pairs feature only one piece with two entries:0026 & 09750027 & 08710051 & 09320250 & 09370287 & 09720391 & 03920424 & 08170512 & 0513Now, don't get me wrong. I still think it's a good buy - I just don't like it when readers/buyers get all misled.Kudos to all those who have their pieces featured in the book. Each one is truly inspirational. And cheers to Sandra Salamony as well for getting all these pieces in her book. I just wish she didn't re-instate the misleading info by mentioning 1,000 pieces of jewelry in her acknowledgment.
Was quite inspired by some bird's nests I saw recently. I searched for tutorials on eggs in a nest and managed to find one free one on You Tube (Tutorial Diary: Nest Pins). As far as free goes, this one didn't give much information - although it gave loads of room for creativity, imagination and common sense.My first try for the nest turned out quite smaller than what I wanted (26-gauge copper wire & 4mm unakite beads) but I wasn't going to let that worry me. I decided to place the nest in a frame to make a pendant. I decided to make a Tree of Life to nestle the nest in.I used 20-gauge copper wire for the frame and 24- gauge copper wire for the tree and branches plus bits of aventurine for the leaves.Not contented, I made a necklace for the pendant using 26-gauge copper wire, more bits of aventurine and the crochet technique.This is what I made with all that put together:Quite appropriate for Environment Enthusiasts, the stones used in this pendant collectively makes for wonderfully creative green thumbs. It exudes positive energies in gardening, healing and in creating a harmonious environment for the wearer.
I've been experimenting with bracelets and finding which ones I like to make. This is my second foray into bracelet-making. I used Bali Silver (22- and 26-gauge), Turquoise (4mm), New Jade (4mm) and the wire-wrap technique with some molding. 
Spots of Sky
The combination of Silver, Turquoise and New Jade in this bracelet makes for a powerful combination in love and communication. It's great for lovers who want to maintain an honest and romantic relationship.
I'd love to know what you think of these pieces.
I'm looking into making bracelets and trying the wire crochet technique. I'm not very satisfied with my silver one but this copper piece is a worthy starting point, I think.
I used a tutorial from Diane Gilleland: How to Crochet a Bead and Wire Bracelet. I worked with copper wire, Unakite, Goldstone, and Peach Aventurine. When I looked into these stone's properties I found out that collectively they exude energies to help the wearer be more creative and more adept in making decisions. I'm not sure if I want to make more crocheted pieces, I'm thinking of reverting to actual wire-wrapping and making pieces using those techniques instead.
Finally got around to making rings. These are all made with Bali Silver wire (24- and 28- gauge) and semi precious stones as detailed below each piece.I also have photos of these rings on my finger to provide a size comparison. The bouquets are about 1/2" in diameter. I used Unakite, Agate and Cat's Eye for these pieces.
Molecular Attraction Series: Agate
Molecular Attraction Series: Unakite (aka Unikite)
Molecular Attraction Series: Cat's Eye (Natural, Chrysoberyl)
*Credits go to Crystal and Jewelry for stone properties.
One of my inspirations in jewelry-making is Eni Oken. Her pieces are so beautifully done: very intricate and detailed. I love the way she uses tiny charms on her work.She has a beautiful website with free tutorials for beginners. I learned how to wire-wrap using some of her tutorials. Some my earliest pieces were made using her Tutorial 007: Fat Wrap Bead. I also learned to add charms to my pieces because of the beauties I saw on her site.All the pieces featured in this blog entry are all Eni Oken pieces. I love her work!
finally done with my first ever shipment! wow. i'm glad and relieved and impressed. *grin*
dark garden 05 is a reproducible bookmark made with a black leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including peafowl agate, yellow crystal, cornelian, onyx, morite, gold sandstone, floral glass and lava stone.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
black to basics 01 is a reproducible bookmark made with a black leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including lava rock, crystal, dalmatian jasper, onyx, and floral design glass.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
in the moonlight 02 is a reproducible bookmark made with a black leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including onyx, blue lace agate, agate, lapiz, crystal, floral design glass, lava rock,and moonstone.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
horizons 06 is a reproducible bookmark made with a yellow or brown leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including peafowl agate, gold sandstone, morite, aragonite, tiger eye and reticulated brown.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
ribbons 05 is a reproducible bookmark made with a maroon leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including leopard skin, cherry quartz, rose quartz, autumn jasper, and boswana.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
i made the labels myself. and i'm quite proud of making even that small detail. threaded them and put them on each one. also made my first inventory. forgive the over-effusive self-congratulatory tone of this entry: but i AM so proud of this first. *grin*
Handmade jewelry is so time consuming. I'm glad I enjoy making these or else it would've been such a chore. But hey... any work can be a chore if you don't enjoy it.
bubblegum 02 is a reproducible bookmark made with a purple leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including amethyst, cherry quartz, rose quartz, white coral, moonstone, fluorite and leopard skin.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
dark garden 04 is a reproducible bookmark made with a black leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including fluorite, onyx, white coral, cherry quartz, moonstone, amethyst and leopard skin.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
My last eight pieces are all with black leather. About done with two of them. Just thought I'd post my new creations from last night first before I buckled down for the last stretch.
Took the weekend off and was too busy making bookmarks yesterday to update my blog. I'm glad to note I'm only 16 pieces away from the 100 pieces for the Philippine shipment.These are the new reproducibles
by the pond 03 is a reproducible bookmark made with a brown/red/maroon leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including red aventurine, blue lace agate, moonstone, jupiter, lapiz, aragonite, and peafowl agate.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
by the pond 03 is included in the August shipment to the Philippines.
horizons 05 is a reproducible bookmark made with a brown/red/maroon leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including ocean jasper, gold sandstone, morite, aragonite, tiger eye and reticulated browns.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
horizons 05 is included in the August shipment to the Philippines.
ribbons 04 is a reproducible bookmark made with a blue/gray/purple leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including pink opal, leopard skin, moonstone, cherry and rose quartz, amethyst, and boswana.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
ribbons 04 is included in the August shipment to the Philippines.
done with the blues. now about to get my hands into inky black and the last of my purples. =)
went to the silver village again to purchase some bali beads - i ran out last night. came back home and had lunch with my sweet man then decided to go grocery shopping with him. arrived back home just in time to prepare for dinner.while he was preparing dinner, i decided to start on the blues. chose the stones and decided where to put each one. made some head pins for the set and started putting them together. wasn't halfway done when dinner was ready.finished them way after dinner, about the time we finished watching the second installment for "The Stand."
in the moonlight 01 is a reproducible bookmark made with a blue leather strap, bali silver wire and beads, a silver charm and a collection of semi-precious stones including blue lace agate, lapiz, moonstone, cat's eye and floral design glass.
the stones are unique in their patterns, hence reproducible bookmarks are only similar as to the composition and order of stones. each bookmark is made unique by the patterns and colors on each stone it has in its composition.
in the moonlight 01 is included in the August shipment to the Philippines.
i've been making bookmarks for this shipment for days now, i don't think i've had the time to actually open a book and spend a relaxing afternoon with it and the cool Bali breeze.
Dreamcatcher for Spirituality 
